Rick's Daily Tips

Review: HP ProBook 430 Ultrabook with Windows 7 Professional

Posted on September 10, 2014

I’m often asked if it’s still possible to buy a new laptop that’s running Windows 7, and the answer is yes. There are actually a lot of Windows 7 PCs still on the market today.

A perfect example is the HP ProBook 430 Ultrabook, a compact and light, but very capable ultrabook laptop that’s selling quite well at the moment.

I really like the modern ultrabooks that have become so popular these days. They typically pack a lot of power and functionality into a thin, light package, and this attractive ultrabook from HP is very nice indeed. [Read more…]

How to disable ‘Private Recommendations’ on Netflix

Posted on September 9, 2014

If you use Netflix, you have most likely noticed a new feature called “Private Recommendations”. It allows your friends to privately send you recommendations for movies and TV shows to watch on Netflix.

Some users love the new “Private Recommendations” feature, and others hate it. The rest simply ignore it.

If you receive a ton of recommendations and find them annoying, you can easily disable the Private Recommendations feature. Here’s how: [Read more…]

Facebook adds a “Privacy Checkup” tool to the Desktop version

Posted on September 6, 2014

One of the most irritating things about Facebook is the confusion surrounding our Facebook privacy settings.

There are so many of them that it’s difficult to get a grasp on exactly who can see all the various photos, posts and other bits of info that are posted on our Profile and Timeline pages.

And to make matters worse, the folks at Facebook seem to enjoy changing our privacy settings (often without our knowledge) just after we get finally get them set exactly the way we want them. [Read more…]

Apple: iOS 8 to include ‘Two-Factor Authentication’ for iCloud

Posted on September 5, 2014

As you probably know, Apple is taking a ton of heat after several celebrities had their iCloud accounts hacked and risque photos stolen and published online. Well, the company is apparently taking steps to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

According to Apple CEO Tim Cook, the soon-to-be-released iOS 8 will include an option for enabling “Two-Factor Authentication” on all iCloud accounts.

Two-Factor Authentication has been around for some time now, so it’s something of a mystery why it took such a high profile security breach to prompt Apple to finally make it available for their popular iCloud service. [Read more…]

How to install the free update from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1

Posted on September 4, 2014

windows-8-1 If your PC is running Windows 8, there is a free update to Windows 8.1 waiting for you in the Windows Store. And if ever there was a free update worth installing, in my opinion, this is it!

Some users have trouble installing the Windows 8.1 update however, and most of the time it’s because their Windows 8 installation is either infected with malware or not completely up-to-date.

With that in mind, here is my simple step-by-step guide to installing the free Windows 8.1 update: [Read more…]